NBA: Phil Jackson has work cut out for him with Knicks

A lot of NBA teams have been accused of tanking this season, but you can't include the New York Knicks in that discussion.

The Knicks don't lose on purpose, but they've lost for much of the season anyway.

While other teams conspire to improve their position in what is expected to be a loaded NBA Draft this June, the Knicks don't own a first-round pick in 2014. They sent it to Denver as part of the trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks have also dealt away their first-round pick in 2016.

Last year, the Knicks won their first Atlantic Division title since the 1993-94 season and posted the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (54-28), but for most of this year they've been a disaster. They beat Milwaukee, the NBA's worst team, on Saturday for their sixth consecutive victory, but they're still only 27-40 and entered Saturday night trailing Atlanta by three games for the final spot playoff in the embarrassingly weak Eastern Conference. Even if the Knicks manage to slip into the playoffs, they'll likely lose in the opening round.

There are many reasons behind the Knicks' free-fall.

•Anthony ranks second in the NBA in scoring, but he's never been much of a leader, defender or winner. He does not make his teammates better. If the Knicks don't win a playoff round this year, Anthony will have won only three playoff series in his 11 NBA seasons.

•The acquisition of Andrea Bargnani was a huge mistake. The 7-foot forward was acquired from Toronto to provide a second scoring option alongside Anthony, but Bargnani averaged only 13.3 points a game and proved to be one of the league's worst defenders before he tore a ligament in his left elbow in late January. He hasn't played since. As part of the trade, the Knicks sent their 2016 first-round pick and 2014 and 2017 second-round picks to the Raptors.

•Amar'e Stoudemire has played better lately, but bad knees have robbed him of the ability to take over games and he's not worth anywhere near the $21.7 million the Knicks are paying him this season or the $23.4 million he's due next year.

•Point guard Raymond Felton has played poorly and was arrested on Feb. 25 and charged with felony weapons possession after his wife brought his unregistered handgun to police headquarters. Felton and his wife are going through a nasty divorce.

•A year after being voted NBA Sixth Man of the Year last season, J.R. Smith has been a disappointment on and off the court. He underwent knee surgery last summer, then began the season with a five-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug program, was fined $50,000 for trying to untie the shoelaces of opponents in two games and was benched by coach Mike Woodson, who admitted the two had a "little blow-up." In an attempt to keep Smith happy, the Knicks opened the season with his brother Chris on the roster, but eventually sent him down to their NBA Development team in Erie. After reported run-ins with the Erie coaching staff, Chris was released recently.

"It's kind of been a rollercoaster ride for J.R.," Woodson said, "but I think he's playing much, much better now."

•Center Tyson Chandler continues to be injury-prone, missing six weeks with a broken leg.

•The Knicks foolishly signed too many old players last year. Jason Kidd retired to coach the Nets. Rasheed Wallace retired to join the Pistons' coaching staff. Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas are no longer in the league.

•The Knicks rank among the bottom of the league in rebounding and assists. The latter stat isn't a surprise on a team with Anthony, who shoots nearly every time he gets the ball, bringing any ball movement to a halt.

"Every year as coaches," Woodson said, "we go into a year with high expectations and it should be that way. In New York, it's even higher. We just didn't, with the injuries early on and I thought missing J.R. that first five games, we just weren't able to set the tone like I thought we could have coming out of camp. The chemistry, it just wasn't there. We've been fighting with injuries and guys going in and out of rotations, we've had so many lineup changes. This time last year we had a set lineup and we had a nice set rotation and it just hasn't been that way. So it's been frustrating from a coaching standpoint, but I'm not one to complain. I'm going to keep pushing guys to try to get over the hump and see if we can get this eighth spot."

Anthony can opt out of his contract at season's end. Knicks fans are clinging to the hope of re-signing Anthony and then signing Rajon Rondo as a free agent in the summer of 2015. Good luck with that.

The Knicks will reportedly give Phil Jackson $60 million over the next five years to become team president. Jackson won two titles in New York as a player and 11 more coaching Chicago and the Lakers, but he's never worked in a front office. There's already talk of how he might serve as president while living out west half the time. Turning around an aging, dysfunctional team with no cap space and no first-round pick this year won't be easy.

So as bad as the season has gone in Boston, it could be worse. Unlike the Knicks, the Celtics have a young nucleus and have held onto their first-round pick in 2014 and it looks like they'll receive Brooklyn's as well. (Atlanta has the option to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn, but the Hawks have fallen well behind the Nets in the standings so unless Atlanta gets hot it will keep its own pick.)

In good shape for draft

With two first-round picks, the Celtics aren't the only ones well-positioned for the 2014 NBA Draft.

Philadelphia, Orlando, Utah and Phoenix are also in great shape. Charlotte could pick up an extra pick as well.

No team has made less of a secret about tanking than the Sixers, who basically gave away leading scorer Evan Turner and leading rebounder Spencer Hawes in trades and entered Saturday night having lost 19 in a row since beating the Celtics on Jan. 29. The Sixers appeared determined to overtake Milwaukee as the team with the league's worst record and best chance to win the lottery.

In addition to their own first-round pick, the Sixers will receive New Orleans' first-rounder, as long as it's not among the first five picks.

The Sixers have Rookie of the Year favorite Michael Carter-Williams of Hamilton and Nerlens Noel, the 6-foot-11 center-forward from Everett who was drafted out of Kentucky with the sixth pick last June, but has yet to play because of a knee injury. In another move that makes people believe the Sixers are tanking, they have yet to allow Noel to play even though he's been cleared by doctors. Noel hopes to make his NBA debut on April 4 against the Celtics in his home state.

Magic general manager Rob Hennigan, a Worcester native, will have his team's first-round pick and a first-rounder from either Denver or New York, whichever is least favorable. New York has a worse record than Denver so if the season ended today Orlando would get Denver's pick.

Utah has its own first-rounder and Golden State's.

The Suns have surprised everyone by battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they could end up with four first-round picks in June. In addition to their own, they could receive Washington's, Minnesota's and Indiana's.

Those three picks are protected, but all three of those teams currently reside well beyond that protection area. Former Celtics assistant GM Ryan McDonough is GM for Phoenix.

Charlotte would receive Detroit's first-round pick if it is not among the first eight picks.

Contact Bill Doyle at wdoyle@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15.

CDL A DELIVERY DRIVERS Home Every Night! Needed for our Worcester Depot! Drive local - No more spending valuable nights away from your family! As a Direct Store Delivery Representative YOU have the opportunity to make a difference with our customers! Provide excellent customer service; interact in a positive manner with our customers; deliver our products to local stores. Be home every night! Work for a Company that has been around for over 80 years! Minimum of 3 months driving experience with CDL A/B; GED or HS diploma required; Must be able to drive a standard transmission. EEO/Veteran/Disability Growing Strong Since1933!